Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1886 on and the census since 1880.
The Schell City post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Schell City’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Schell City. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Schell City.
Peaked at 847 in 1890; 228 people lived here in 2020.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Schell City’s Wikipedia page.
From Wikipedia’s history of Schell City.
Schell City was laid out in 1871. The city was named for one of its original proprietors, Augustus Schell of New York. A post office has been in operation at Schell City since 1871.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Schell City, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Our subject was reared on his father’s farm and acquired his education in the common schools. After attaining his majority he spent two years in the employ of Mr. Oliver Duck, a stock dealer, at Schell City, then spent a year at Nevada, after which he returned to Schell City and remained there till in 1893, when he took up his permanent abode in Nevada. It was at this time he turned his attention to the printer ’s trade, entering the office of the Evening Post. Following that he was connected with the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Nevada and soon became intimately connected with the affairs of that city, serving for two terms as its mayor. Three years later, or in 1873, he returned to St. Louis, and subsequently in 1878 entered the employ of J. W. Cleland, at Schell City, in the lumber business. Upon the organization of the Home Lumber Co., he took charge of the business at Schell City. For years Mr.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1886Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
The Schell City post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2004